Glass cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

A glass cleaning apparatus includes a handle and a cleaning member. The handle has its interior hollowed out to form an accommodating cavity and its upper end cut downward with a transverse combining opening. The cleaning member has a central portion inserted in the combining opening of the handle, with a pivot inserted through the handle and the cleaning member to fix them in position. The cleaning member is bored with a horizontal slide groove at the location where the pivot is inserted so that the cleaning member can be adjusted in angle and in length and collapsed and received in the handle by means of its horizontal slide groove, convenient to be stored, adjustable in angles and in length for matching with different-shape surfaces of glass windows and easy to replace wiping fabric.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a glass cleaning apparatus, particularly to one convenient to be collapsed for storing, able to be adjusted in angle and in length for matching with different-shaped surfaces and easy to replace wiping fabric.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventional glass cleaning apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a handle 10 and a cleaning member 20 horizontally connected on the upper end of the handle 10. To clean glass windows, simply hold the handle 10 to have the cleaning member 20 wiping the glass windows back and forth. Since the conventional glass cleaning apparatus has its handle 10 and the cleaning member 20 pivotally or fixedly connected together, impossible to be collapsed; therefore, it is inconvenient to be stored. Especially, such a conventional glass cleaning apparatus is too large to be placed in the trunk of an automobile for cleaning and defogging of the glass windows, resulting in inconvenience in storing and using.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the invention is to offer a glass cleaning apparatus able to be collapsed for facilitating storing, adjustable in angles and in length for matching with different-shaped surfaces of glass windows and easy to replace wiping fabric.

The glass cleaning apparatus in the present invention includes a handle and a cleaning member. The handle has its interior hollowed out and formed with an accommodating cavity and its upper end cut downward with a transverse combining opening. The cleaning member has its central portion inserted in the combining opening of the handle, with a pivot inserted through the handle and the cleaning member to pivotally combine them together. The cleaning member is bored with a horizontal slide groove at the location where the pivot is inserted so that the cleaning member can be adjusted in angles and in length and collapsed and received in the accommodating cavity of the handle by means of its horizontal slide groove. By so designing, the cleaning member can be collapsed for facilitating storing and adjusted in angles and in length for matching with different-shaped surfaces of glass windows, and the wiping fabric can easily be replaced with any material a user prefers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional glass cleaning apparatus:

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a glass cleaning apparatus in the present invention:

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the glass cleaning apparatus in the present invention:

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the glass cleaning apparatus in the present invention:

FIG. 5 is a side exploded perspective view of the cleaning member of the glass cleaning apparatus in the present invention:

FIG. 6 is a front view of the glass cleaning apparatus in the present invention:

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the line 7-7 in FIG. 6:

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the glass cleaning apparatus having its wiping side adjusted to an angle for use in the present invention:

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the glass cleaning apparatus having its wiping side adjusted to another angle for use in the present invention:

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the glass cleaning apparatus having its wiping side adjusted in length relative to the handle in the present invention:

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the glass cleaning apparatus adjusted to have its scraping side for use in the present invention: and

FIGS. 12(A), (B) and (C) are front views of the glass cleaning apparatus having its cleaning member collapsed by three steps in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of a glass cleaning apparatus in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, includes a handle 30 and a cleaning member 40 combined together.

The handle 30 is hollow-shaped and has one side bored with a receiving slot 31 and its hollow interior formed with an accommodating cavity 32. The handle 30 has the central portion of its upper end cut downward with a transverse combining opening 33 deeper than a half of the length of the cleaning member 40. Two support arms 34 are respectively formed at the opposite sides of the transverse combining opening 33, respectively having a pivotal hole 340 bored in the central upper end and aligned to each other. The two pivotal holes 340 of the two support arms 34 have their circumferential edges respectively formed with a hollow holding block 341, with an insert notch 342 formed between the two holding blocks 341, as shown in FIG. 4. One of the two holding blocks 341 has its end surface formed with radial teeth 3410 extending outward as shown in FIG. 7.

The cleaning member 40, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, has an intermediate portion inserted in the insert notch 342 at the upper end of the handle 30, and its upper end formed with a wiping side 41 and its lower end formed with a flexible scraping side 42. Further, the cleaning member 40 has its intermediate portion bored with a horizontal slide groove 43, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, with a pivot 44 (shaped like a bolt) inserted through the pivotal hole 340 of the handle 30 and the horizontal slide groove 43 of the cleaning member 40 and then through the other pivotal hole 340 of the handle 30 and firmly screwed with a nut 45 to pivotally fix the cleaning member 40 at the upper end of the handle 30. Furthermore, the horizontal slide groove 43 has its opposite sides and its upper end (or its lower end or its upper and lower end), which face the radial teeth 3410 of the holding block 341 of the handle 30, respectively formed with engage projections 430 to be aligned to and engaged with the radial teeth 3410 to form a positioning device.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the scraping side 42 of the cleaning member 40 is formed with a flexible tapered edge for scraping remaining moisture on glass windows, and the wiping side 41 of the cleaning member 40 is formed with an enlarged head 410 whose outer side can be clamped by a C-shaped elastic hollow clamping member 411. The hollow clamping member 411 has its opposite ends respectively formed with a rib 4110 for strengthening clamping force. Wiping paper (or sponge or cleaning fabric) can be covered on the outer surface and fitted on the inner wall of the clamping member 411 and firmly fixed on the wiping side 41 of the cleaning member 40 by the clamping member 411 for facilitating wiping movement on glass windows.

Combined by the pivot 44 and by mutual engagement of the engage projections 430 and the radial teeth 3410, the cleaning member 40 and the handle 30 can be stably fixed in position.

To wipe glass windows with the wiping side 41 of the glass cleaning apparatus, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the wiping side 41 of the cleaning member 40 is adjusted to face upward, and the cleaning member 40 and the handle 30 are firmly combined together by the pivot 44. Then the engage projections 430 of the cleaning member 40 are engaged with the radial teeth 3410 of the holding block 341 of the handle 30, as shown in FIG. 7, so a user can begin to carry out wiping of the glass windows. When the wiping paper 412 fitted on the wiping side 41 becomes dirty and has to be replaced with new one, simply draw the clamping member 411 from the enlarged head 410 of the wiping side 41 and replace the dirty wiping paper 412 with a new wiping material a user prefers, such as sponge, cleaning fabric and the like. In case the wiping side 41 has to be adjusted in angles, only unscrew the pivot 44 and properly adjust the included angle between the cleaning member 40 and the handle 30, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Then, screw tight again the pivot 44 to fix the cleaning member 40 and the handle 30 in position, letting the engage projections 430 of the cleaning member 40 engaged with the toothed surface 3410 of the handle 30. Thus, the dead angles of the glass windows can be easily wiped clean. Additionally, the length of the cleaning member 40 relative to the handle 30 can also be adjusted for use, as shown in FIG. 10.

To scrape water off glass windows, firstly, unscrew the pivot 44 and, with the pivot 44 serving as a fulcrum, turn the cleaning member 40 for 180 degrees to let the scraping side 42 of the cleaning member 40 turned to pass through the transverse combining opening 33 and face upward, as shown in FIG. 11. Then, screw tight the pivot 44 to secure the cleaning member 40 at the upper end of the handle 30, letting the engage projections 430 of the cleaning member 40 engaged with the radial teeth 3410 of the holding block 341 of the handle 30. Thus, the scraping side 42 of the cleaning member 40 can be used to scrape water off the glass windows. In addition, the scraping side 42 of the cleaning member 40 can be freely adjusted in angles in the same way as used for adjusting the angles of the wiping side 41.

To collapse the cleaning member 40, as shown in FIG. 12, firstly, unscrew the pivot 44 and turn the cleaning member 40 for 90 degrees toward the combining opening 33 of the handle 30, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 12(A), letting the cleaning member 40 positioned upright, as shown in FIG. 12(B). Next, the cleaning member 40 is pushed downward and completely received in the accommodating cavity 32 of the handle 30 by means of its horizontal slide groove 43, as shown in FIG. 12(C). Then, screw tight the pivot 44 to let the engage projections 430 at one side of the cleaning member 40 engaged with the radial teeth 3410 of the holding block 341 of the handle 30, thus finishing collapsing the cleaning member 40 and having it positioned in the interior of the handle 30. Evidently, the glass cleaning apparatus of this invention can be collapsed into a small size for the convenience of being placed inside an automobile for cleaning and defogging of the glass windows anytime.

As can be understood from the above description, this invention has the following advantages.

1. The wiping side and the scraping side of the cleaning member can be easily exchanged for use.

2. The cleaning member can be adjusted in angles and in length, able to completely clean up the dead angles of glass windows.

3. The cleaning member can be collapsed and completely positioned in the interior of the handle, convenient to be placed in an automobile for cleaning and defogging of the glass windows anytime and also convenient to be carried by workers who do the cleaning of the glass windows of high buildings.

4. The wiping material to be fitted on the cleaning member for use can be replaced according as a user prefers, such as wiping paper, sponge or cleaning fabric.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A glass cleaning apparatus comprising a handle and a cleaning member, said cleaning member pivotally combined with the upper end of said handle by a pivot; and said handle having its interior hollowed out to form an accommodating cavity, said handle having its upper end cut downward with a transverse combining opening, said cleaning member having a central portion inserted in said transverse combining opening of said handle; and said cleaning member bored with a horizontal slide groove at the location where said pivot is inserted; said handle and said cleaning member together formed with a positioning device for strengthening their combination.
 2. The glass cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning member has its upper end formed with a wiping side and its lower end formed with a scraping side, said wiping side and said scraping side able to be exchanged for use.
 3. The glass cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said positioning device is composed of engage projections formed at the opposite sides and the upper or the lower end of said horizontal slide groove of said cleaning member and a radial toothed surface formed at the upper end of said handle and facing said engage projections of said cleaning member, said engage projections and said radial teeth able to be engaged with each other whether said cleaning member is normally used or adjusted in angles for use or collapsed and received in said handle.
 4. The glass cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said wiping side of said cleaning member is formed with an enlarged head having its opposite outer sides respectively fitted thereon with a C-shaped elastic clamping member, wiping paper or sponge or cleaning fabric able to be optionally covered on the outer surface of said clamping member for use.
 5. The glass cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said combining opening of said handle is deeper than half the length of said cleaning member. 